This invention relates to a new carbon containing composition and method of manufacture thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to improved porous carbon bodies, especially those carbon bodies adapted for use as electrodes.
The use of carbon as a catalyst support for numerous chemical and electrochemical reactions is known. One of the recognized advantages of powdered carbon as a catalyst support is the large contact area provided by the highly irregular surface of the carbon particles. For example, the catalytic efficiency of an electrode is directly related to surface contact area of the electrocatalyst; consequently, compacted porous carbon has found use as an electrocatalyst support. In these electrode structures, activated catalytic metal is deposited on the surface of the compacted carbon. Notwithstanding the known advantages of carbon as a support material, and as an active electrode material, the carbon does not always have sufficient ability to disperse catalytically active materials. On the other hand, metal oxides such as alumina, silica, magnesium oxide, titanium dioxide, barium titanate, niobium pentoxide and the like can be employed as catalytic support materials, particularly since these oxides often are inert under the conditions of use. For electrochemical reactions, however, these metal oxides are substantially insulating or nonconducting, and therefore the oxides are not suitable in electrode structures.